Recent Eats

Lunch at Eataly

I checked in on Eataly at lunchtime recently. My dining companion and I found a crowded, confusing food hall. The retail options are mixed in among the food stalls making for a not-so-comfortable experience. It's still early, so perhaps when things settle down the place will seem calmer. But our attempt to try the pizza was thwarted by a 35- to 40-minute wait to sit down. So instead, we ended up at the panini counter. The choices were limited — just a couple options for cold sandwiches and hot ones. 

We both got a mushroom and taleggio cheese panini. It was a fine sandwich, but nothing special, nothing that impressed us and nothing that made us think we'd definitely return.

We also got an apple cake from the counter across the way. It wasn't too sweet, but the texture was grainy. Maybe we didn't choose well, but it didn't say much for Eataly.

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Dinner at Kanoyama

Hamo Soumen: fried pike eel noodles with green tea salt. I loved the green tea salt, but we couldn't taste much eel flavor in these noodles. In fact, we thought perhaps we had remembered incorrectly what the menu said.

Chirashi: assorted fish served over rice. The fish is great at Kanoyama and I love sampling a variety of it. My favorite part of this dish though is the deep box of rice mixed with ginger and Japanese pickles hidden under all of this that helped to make it filling. I could do without the tasteless bales of shredded radish though.

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Afternoon at the New Amsterdam Market

On our way over to the market, we strolled past the vendors of the Fulton Stall Market and picked up a few carb-y treats, which quickly became snacks for later once we made it to our main destination.

The New Amsterdam Market is now a weekly (Sundays through December) food bazaar near South Street Seaport in the former site of the Fulton Fish Market with an emphasis on local food. There were lots of vendors to try, many with free samples. My dining companion and I made lunch out of a vegetable tamale from Katchkie Farm and a beer-braised beef sandwich from Jimmy's No. 43. And for dessert, ice cream from The Bent Spoon.

A small cup gets you two flavors. I decided on the beet-basil ice cream and the nectarine sorbet. Both were terrific, boldly flavored and had a great soft, creamy texture. 

We also picked up some Mother-In-Law's Kimchi and some Bellwether Hard Cider. Exploring food markets is one of my favorite activities, so I'm happy to support this market!